Michael Kim holed a 15-foot par putt on the final hole to secure a one-shot victory at the French Open on Sunday, ending his seven-year worldwide title drought. Former world No. 1 Brooks Koepka couldn’t maintain his early momentum and finished fourth.
Kim faced a tense finish after leaving his bunker shot short on the par-3 18th, but calmly rolled in the par putt to complete a 6-under 65 and finish at 16 under for the tournament.
“I kind of blacked out when that putt went in,” said Kim, whose last win came at the 2018 John Deere Classic on the PGA Tour, where he dominated with an eight-shot victory.
This time around, the win didn’t come nearly as easily. Australia’s Elvis Smylie and France’s Jeong-weon Ko both fired matching 65s to finish tied for second, just one shot back.
Koepka, who started the day sharing the lead, couldn’t generate any momentum on the back nine. He managed eight pars and a bogey, shooting 68 to finish alone in fourth place. It’s a disappointing result for the five-time major champion, who last won in August at LIV Golf’s Greenbrier event in West Virginia.
This was Koepka’s third straight week competing on the European Tour, and his results have been mixed. He missed cuts at both the Irish Open and the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth before this fourth-place showing in France.
Kim, who’s built a significant following as an unlikely social media star in recent years, made some history with his victory. He’s the first American to claim the French Open title in 53 years, following Barry Jaeckel’s win in 1972. Golf legends Walter Hagen and Byron Nelson are the only other U.S. players to have won this prestigious event.
The victory should give a significant boost to Kim’s world ranking, where he entered the week at No. 64. More importantly, it validates the work he’s put in during the long stretch between wins and gives him momentum heading into the final portion of the season.
